Joni Mitchell vs. Lana Del Rey | Head 2 Head 🗣️

On the 7th edition of Head 2 Head, Joni Mitchell and Lana Del Rey duke it over their respective takes on “For Free.” 

Welcome to Head 2 Head! On Head 2 Head, we pit at least two musicians singing the same song together, comparing and contrasting their performances.  Then, after much deliberation, we deliver a verdict of which performance was the best, or at least, subjectively, which performance moved us more.  For our 7^th head-to-head, the source material is 🎙 Joni Mitchell, specifically the song, 🎵 “For Free”. The two artists going head-to-head are Mitchell and 🎙 Lana del Rey, “with a little help from some friends.” So, without further ado, let the Head 2 Head commence!

1. Joni Mitchell, “For Free”

💿 Ladies of the Canyon • 🏷 Warner • 📅 1970

“Across the street he stood / And he played real good / On his clarinet for free.” I played my saxophone 🎷 outside of high school prom sophomore year 🤷 – just saying!  Anyways, 🏆 Grammy-winning, Canadian folk singer/songwriter 🎙 Joni Mitchell outdid herself with 🎵 “For Free.” Appearing on her 1970 album, 💿 Ladies of the Canyon, Mitchell imparts the tale of a talented street musician – a clarinetist – who’s playing for free.  Meanwhile, she, a heralded musician (also quite talented), is being paid and receiving the perks for her craft.  She also won’t play for free – the privilege of celebrity?

“Now me, I play for fortunes
And those velvet curtain calls
I got a black limousine and two gentlemen
Escorting me to the halls.”

The third verse may be my personal favorite.  Mitchell seems to feel sorry for the lack of attention being received by the street musician (“Nobody stopped to hear him / Though he played so sweet and high”).  She goes on to sing, “I meant to go over and ask for a song / Maybe put on a harmony,” but ultimately, she doesn’t.  Honestly, it is the brilliant songwriting by Mitchell that makes “For Free” so awesome.  Besides the lyrics, Mitchell sings incredibly well and the music itself is great too, with piano leading the charge.  Worth noting, of course, that clarinet appears at the end of the record, a marvelous touch. Also, cello appears on the final verse. Beautiful!

2. Lana Del Rey, “For Free”

Ft. Zella Day & Weyes Blood

💿 Chemtrails Over the Country Club • 🏷 Interscope • 🗓 2021

🎙 Lana del Rey is always good for a cover on many her albums.  She concludes her seventh studio album, 💿 Chemtrails Over the Country Club, brilliantly with the Joni Mitchell classic, 🎵 “For Free.” Del Rey enlists 🎙 Zella Day and 🎙 Weyes Blood for the assist on a truly chilling interpretation.  The vocals are elite, the harmonies haunting, and the production absolutely stunning.

The original – intact with clarinet solo, fitting – is magical.  Likewise, the Del Rey take is also quite special, and has a strong case for crowning achievement on a truly intriguing album.  That’s saying something considering how many great originals grace Chemtrails.  Del Rey definitely makes “For Free” sound like her own song.

The Verdict 👨🏿‍⚖️ 

Okay, so is it Joni Mitchell or Lana Del Rey that wins this Head 2 Head?  Mitchell obviously gets the edge because she wrote this incredible song.  Ask yourself how often you hear a song like “For Free.” It’s a rare, once in a lifetime song.  That said, Del Rey, with the help of Zella and Weyes truly transform this 1970 gem into a contemporary classic.  If you weren’t familiar with Mitchell’s music, well, you could swear this was an original. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the mark of a true artist.  Joni is queen but Del Rey definitely “did the damn thing.”

Joni Mitchell vs. Lana Del Rey: Head 2 Head 🗣️ No. 7 (2021) [📷: Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype, Warner, Valentin Tikhonov from Pixabay]